Rat Hepatocyte Primary Cell Culture-Mediated Mutagenesis of Adult Rat Liver Epithelial Cells by Procarcinogens

Abstract

Rat hepatocyte primary cell (HPC) cultures which were unable to be subcultured were used as a metabolizing feeder system for established lines of adult rat liver (ARL) cultures in studies of procar-cinogen-induced mutagenesis. Treatment of a mixed culture of HPC and ARL cells with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, dimethyl-nitrosamine, or 2-acetylaminofluorene for 24 hr resulted in an increase in the incidence of 8-azaguanine-resistant mutants that was not observed with treatment of ARL cells alone. Thus, HPC cultures can be used as a feeder system for enhancing mutagenesis in established lines of ARL cells by procarcin-ogens requiring metabolic activation.